The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a programmeable exercise apparatus.
Resistance training is used for strength, muscular endurance and aerobics, speed and power, muscle toning and body-building. It is generally accepted that when training to improve any of the above, the exercise regimen must be based on the overload principle, i.e. the muscles of the body must be forced to work against greater resistance than that to which they are normally accustomed. The resistance may be isometric, isokinetic (sometimes called variable) or isotonic depending on the purpose of exercise.
Resistance training is typically performed in groups of repetitive exercise movements, wherein each group of movements is called a set and each repetitive movement is called a repetition. Within a single exercise repetition resistance may be applied to concentric (positive) movement and/or eccentric (negative) movement. The magnitude of the concentric and eccentric movements may be varied independently. For example, it has been found that in certain types of exercise, significant strength increases are obtained if the eccentric resistance is increased over the concentric resistance.
Within an exercise set the resistance may be varied from repetition to repetition. For example, the resistance may be progressively increased over the first repetitions and then decreased over the later repetitions. This is sometimes referred to as pyramiding.
Many combinations of movements and resistive forces are possible and the best effect is achieved when the combination is tailored to the application, with applications such as professional body building, rehabilitation and sport or leisure exercises having differing requirements. For optimum results the exercise apparatus should be set for each particular type of exercise activity and in order to minimize the cost, one piece of equipment should cover the widest possible field of applications.
An important part of any exercise programme is the ability to monitor its progress by way of suitable indications related to duration of the exercise, number of movements executed, energy expended and other useful information. Availability of such feedback information not only enables the progress of the exercise programme to be monitored and controlled simply, but may also be a positive encouragement to the user.
Exercise apparatus currently available use a variety of principles to achieve resistance against which the user must exert himself. Two most common groups of equipment available on the market make use of weightstacks and free weights. Used also in various specific designs are: pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, friction devices, electromagnetic brakes, resilient bands and/or springs etc. used singly or in various combinations.
Probably the most popular principle is that which makes use of a weightstack in conjunction with cables, pulleys and levers in order to provide resistance to an operator's muscular movements and efforts.
In equipment making use of a weightstack, it is an advantage that the stack will apply a given force against which the operator must exert himself, almost independently of movement. However, it is a disadvantage of the weightstack that there is an inertia to be overcome, thereby increasing the load on the user when upward weightstack movement is first initiated, or if the weights are accelerated. The resilient bands and springs employed as alternatives to the weightstaks have the disadvantage that the force applied to the operator varies in accordance with the elongation of the resilient bands or springs. It is a disadvantage of the other devices, such as pneumatic cylinders, used as alternatives to weightstacks that the resisting force encountered by the operator depends on the speed at which they are operated, as opposed to the almost constant gravitational force provided by the weightstack.
A substantial disadvantage usually associated with each of the above methods of providing resistance is that they do not provide any feedback information to the user about the progress of the exercise programme. Also, it is not known in equipment using the above methods to provide a pre-programmed varying combination of resistances during the course of exercise while at the same time providing one piece of equipment which covers a wide range of applications. Rather, if any change in resistance is desired, the exercise must be stopped temporarily and suitable adjustments made, after which the exercise programme may be resumed. Such a disruption to the continuity of the exercise is most undesirable. As an alternative, a second person may be used to manipulate the resistance of the exercise apparatus, but this method requires constant presence of the second person and is prone to errors in adjustment. Many attempts have been made to design exercise apparatus with some degree of programmability but to date it is not known for such a piece of apparatus to cover a complete range of applications, while at the same time providing features closely approximating those of the weightstack.
Numerous patents have been issued in the past, which disclose various parts or equipment within the exercise apparatus field. U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,100 to Pizatella et al covers the use of computer control to vary and regulate only the operating speed of the exercising device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,467 to Flavell refers to the partially programmed exercising machine, but the programmed control covered only the end points of the exercising strokes. Many other specifications disclose the control of speed of movement, examples of which are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,465,592 and 3,784,194 to J. J. Perrine for mechanical and hydraulic devices used for speed control. Centrifugal control devices are described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,640,530 and 3,896,672 to Henson et al. An electronic and electromechanical servo system is shown in the Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,480 and Flavell U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,848,467 and 3,869,121. U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,676 to G. B. Ariel shows a combination machine using a hydraulic cylinder as a source of resistance combined with computerised control and displays. This design, however, is limited to linear movements imposed on it by the use of the hydraulic cylinder/piston combination.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate one or all of the above disadvantages and/or shortcomings.